Anywhere from 3-5am I am woken up with this awful tightness/pain/cramping in my upper abdomen (right below rib cage). It hurts to sit up, talk, etc. It has either gone away if I drink milk, or baking soda in water....or one time I had water and threw it up, and that felt better too.

I called and told my CNM about it and she said it sounds like stomach spasms from my stomach acid....and that I need to eat more in the evenings (my hardest time for eating) and to have a snack right before bed.

So I started eating more often during the day, so that I didn't feel nauseous at night and could eat a decent amount...and then right before bed I would have a big glass of milk w/protein powder mixed in. Seemed to work great for a few days. But last night, I didn't do so good with dinner and their was no milk at night....and just like that I had the same problem again this early morning.

Has anyone else had what I'm describing. I really don't believe that it's heartburn...doesn't seem to fit the description at all. My CNM did say that if it continues that I should try zantac. ...but I thought that was for indigestion/heartburn, and this doesn't seem to fit. I don't get it after I eat...just in the wee hours of the morning when my stomach is super empty.

I haven't had exactly what you're describing, but I have so much bloating and gas and discomfort that I thought what you are describing sounds like it could be gas too. Sometimes at night I wake up and my upper stomach is sticking out so far just full of air and so very uncomfortable; I try to burp alot and it helps ever so slightly.

Hope you figure out what's causing your discomfort and you can get a good nights sleep.

from reading your post, it sounds like when you did what your midwife recommended, that it worked for you?

then most likely she is right that your being hungry is causing your stomach acid to kick in, and if you're laying down, it can become painful.

i find that if i don't eat every few hours, i get really painful hunger pains. i have to eat some protein before bed to keep from waking up feeling them, but i haven't had the acid problem yet . i usually pick cottage cheese with some fruit, so i get a little fiber too.

i would definitely avoid zantac. if you're considering it, i recommend reading up on the side effects - it's bad for your liver. i know moms who've taken lots of tums during pregnancy though.